Idioms – Letter H

– Idioms – Letter H –

Hh

“Build The House From The Ground Up” – This IdiomaticAphorism can also be classified as a Saying, and can be turned into an Interjection and a Phrasal Verb – and is used to express the advice that: When one is involved in some process or working on some project, that he or she needs to do things in the proper order, and start with the basic(referring to the “base” or foundation) necessities before doing other things which (though they may be more interesting) can only be beneficial after the foundational elements are firmly in place. – Read the Full Post Here – (See Also: “Put The Horse In Front Of The Cart”)

(to)HaveBrass Balls – This is an IdiomaticPhrasal-Adjective which is used to mean that someone is gutsy, arrogant, cocky and basically stupid. People who are all of those things usually and mistakenly think that to have brass balls means that they are manly and brave. This is because they are not afraid to do stupid things, but they’re wrong… (because they’re stupid.) Ultimately, it’s not that other people are afraid to do these stupid things – it’s just that they are smart enough to know that, to do so would be… well… stupid. 😀

(to) Have The Makings Of (something) – This is an Idiomatic and PrepositionalAdjectival Phrase which is used to describe a person who has the proper qualities and skills necessary to become something or to fulfill the duties of some position. The word “makings” is an example of creatively turning a verb into a noun as a way of saying that the person has the necessary qualities, skills, attributes, etc. in order to “Make” a good (whatever)…

“He has the makings of someday becoming a great leader. He is courageous, determined, idealistic yet rational, and frankly people just like him. It also doesn’t hurt that his parents are very wealthy.”

Translation: “He has everything necessary to become a leader without really having to work hard to achieve that status.” – Read Full Post Here

(to be) Head And Shoulders Above (another/others/the rest) – This is an IdiomaticAdjectival Phrase which is used to mean that someone is much better at something than another or others. Imagine two people standing next to each other. If one person is so much shorter than the other, that the top of that person’s head does not even com up to the shoulders of the other, then that person’s head and shoulders are above them… This does not mean that the taller person is better, but most people would agree that the taller person is significantly taller (not just a little bit.) So this phrase is used figuratively to mean that someone is significantly better than another…

“Tony Hawk was such an incredibly good skateboarder that, when he was still competing, he was head and shoulders above everyone else.”

(to)Hit/Punch/Push All The Right Buttons – This is an IdiomaticAdjectivalVerb Phrase. Though “Hits”, “Punches” and “Pushes” are all verbs, this is not describing an action but rather is using an action to describe a thing. In computers, and video games (or even when typing a sentence like this) it is necessary to “Hit”, “Punch” or “Push”… “the right buttons”, in the correct order in order to achieve the desired state… Therefore, to say that something “hits”/”punches”/”pushes”… “all the right buttons” means that the thing one is describing is exactly what is needed for a particular situation. – (See Also: “(something) Ticks All The Boxes“)

(to be) Neither Here Nor There – This an IdiomaticAdjectival and Adverbial Phrase which is used when a person is speaking but makes reference to something which is not necessarily realted to the main point that the person is making – and it used as a way of getting back to the main point by saying:

“What I just said is not completely relevant to what I am endeavoring to express so I will get back to my main point.”

For example: If a person where making some point about a lesson that he or she learned from his or her grandparent, but then while trying to make a point got sidetracked and started talking about the beautiful garden at the grandparents’ house (which had nothing to do with the main point) – he or she could then stop and say…

“…and it was such a lovely garden. But that is neither here nor there. The important thing that I learned was…”

…Because often-times, when people hesitate, the opportunity can be missed. This phrase comes from the art of black-smithing (iron-working). When the metal is red-hot then it is soft and easy to work with. Once the metal cools, it hardens and is much more difficult to work with. The word“strike” is verb which means: To hit/pound/kick/etc.. So Idiomatically, if one “Strikes While The Iron Is Hot” then it will be much easier to take that opportunity… but if one waits, the opportunity will be gone – just like the possibility to shape cold metal. – (Note Also: that the article “the” is not necessary, but is grammatically more proper.)